Commonwealth of Australia and New Zealand (1983: Doomsday)
From Alternative History
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| Capital: | Jervis Bay | ||||||
| Largest city: | Brisbane | ||||||
| Other cities: | Adelaide, Canberra, Darwin, Alice Springs, Hobart, Auckland, Christchurch, Wellington, Apia, Kolonia | ||||||
| Language: official: | English (official) | ||||||
| Other languages: | Maori, Samoan, Marshallese, Kosraen, Ponpeic and Trukic languages, Australian Aboriginal languages, Tokelauan | ||||||
| Governor General:: | John Howard | ||||||
| Prime Minister: | John Key | ||||||
| Population: | est. 15,000,000 in all ANZ inh. | ||||||
| Independence: | 1997 /formally | ||||||
| Currency: | Commonwealth dollar ($) | ||||||
The Commonwealth of Australia and New Zealand, also called ANZC or ANZ for short is a large country consisting of most of the Australia-Oceania continent. It was formed as a national unification between several independent countries in Oceania, with Australia and New Zealand forming the backbone of the union.
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[edit] History
As the capital Canberra remained untouched from nuclear attacks, the Australian government survived and maintained a basic degree of order and prevented the chaos and anarchy as happened in many other countries. As Sydney, Melbourne and Perth have been destroyed and many people died, the institutional powers were partly concentrated in the hand of the central government.
In the face of the catastrophic situation the long-lasting friendship and intense cooperation between the anglophonic neighbours Australia and New Zealand proved enormously precious. Very quickly the two Commonwealth members intensified their relationship aligning and combining key branches of government, especially military and other security forces, civil protection, agriculture/industry and transportation capacities up to a degree of practically unified government.
Under the impression of growing international cooperation and the beginning formation of new blocks and alliances Australia and New Zealand have declared their formal unification in 1995 as the "Commonwealth of Australia and New Zealand".
The main task of the Commonwealth is defined to secure the survival of as many citizens of the two countries - and to a certain degree- all survivors in the rest of the world. Some Areas in former Indonesia, Papua-New Guinea and East-Timor which since the late 1990's have increasingly been used economically by the ANZ are de facto protecorates/possessions though this word is not officially been used by any government. Based on the intense and solid cooperation of two nations which have both weathered Doomsday comparably well, the ANZ is one of the key players in the post - doomsday world.
Especially the military is by far the most efficient and well-equipped compared to other surviving nations/territories. The ANZ navy and army mostly rely on the remains of American military technology and capacities as e.g. the American aircraft carrier USS "Nimitz" (CVN-68)was found in 1997 floating off of the coast of Papua New Guniea by the Australian Navy. In a mission involving nearly the entire Australian and New Zealand naval capacities the Nimitz is towed to the new principal Australian Navy Base located in Cairns and formally integrated into the ANZ-Commonwealth Navy with Cairns becoming the new homebase. The Nimitz is now rechristened as the ANZS "Commonwealth" (ANZ-01) and the new Flagship of the combined ANZ Navy, along with the American submarines already operating under Australian command.
This step caused intense political debates among the population of Australia and New Zealand concerning the re usage of nuclear fission in any way, especially for military purposes. Although a majority agreed to the government plans in a popular vote in both countries, and the anti-nuclear movement centered on the green party grew more and more influential in the ANZ parliament, initiating a similar tendency in all surviving countries.
Nonetheless this allows the ANZ to operate worldwide and provide support, mainly humanitary aid.
The ANZ is a founding member and the initiator of the League of Nations and hosted the foundation ceremony on September 26, 2008 in Canberrra.
[edit] Territory
The Commonwealth spans a large part of the Pacific Ocean.
[edit] Integral territory
These regions are part of the Commonwealth proper. They have local self-government and send members to Parliament.
- Australia
- New Zealand
- Samoa
- Micronesia
[edit] External territories
These islands have limited or nonexistent local self-government. Some have very small populations or are used as military outposts. The Commonwealth has little to no actual control over many of the uninhabited islands and has been unable to enforce its claim over the Cocos.
- Chatham Islands
- Kermadec Islands
- Tokelau
- Marcus Island
- Ashmore and Cartier Islands (uninhabited)
- Christmas Island (Indian Ocean)
- Coral Sea Islands (uninhabited)
- Cocos Islands (claimed, disputed)
- Heard and McDonald Islands (claimed, uninhabited)
- Okinawa (claimed, uninhabited)
- Miscellanious Islands (claimed, uninhabited)
[edit] Associated states
These islands govern themselves under the protection of the ANZC, whether by pre-Doomsday agreements with Australia or New Zealand, or through more recent arrangements. The Commonwealth largely conducts their foreign affairs, but several of these states have seats in the League of Nations.
- Alaska
- Cook Islands (includes Pitcairn Island)
- East Timor (de facto)
- Hawaii
- Kiribati
- Nauru
- Norfolk Island
- Niue
- Palau
- Papua New Guinea
- Tuvalu
- Vanuatu
In addition, the ANZC jointly occupies the Cape of Good Hope along with South American forces, and with them manages the provisionsal RZA regime.
[edit] Government and politics
At the federal level, the country is dominated by three parties: Conservative, Labour, and Green. These are in fact coalitions of local parties which go by different names in the different states of the Commonwealth.
| Federal | Conservative | Labour | Green |
| Australia | Liberal Party | Australia Labor Party | Australian Greens |
| New Zealand | National Party of New Zealand | New Zealand Labour Party | Green Party of Aotearoa |
| Samoa | Liberal Party of Samoa | Human Rights-Labour Party | Fanua Party |
[edit] Military
[edit] Commonwealth Armed Forces (CAF)
The CAF was first established by order of ANZUS in 1989 to serve Australia, New Zealand, and the territories under the American Provisional Administration. The CAFhave increased in size since Australia and New Zealand unified, in order to meet the CANZ's global commitments as the heir to the USA.
The F88 AuSteyr was scrapped as the standard service rifle, and the M16A1 took its place. M16 series rifles & M249's were mass-produced domestically by Thales Australia. MP5 was issued to the Australian Special Forces. M21 was the standard sniper rifle, produced by Metal Storm. The National Infantry Arms Department(NIAD) was set up to regulate the sales of these weapons and it also encourages companies like Metal Storm & Thales Australia in research in new weapons technologies.
Thales Australia developed the F90 AR1 in 1994, a much shorter & lighter version of the F89 AR-2, ANZC designation for the M16A2
The current CAF inventory includes :
| S. No. | Name | Type | Brought in Service |
| 1. |
Thales Australia F90 AR-1 | Assault rifle | 1994 |
| 2. |
Thales Australia F89 AR-4 | Assault rifle | 1988 |
| 3. |
Thales Australia Remington 7600 | Pump-action shotgun | 1988 |
| 4. |
Metal Storm Benelli 4 |
Semi-automatic shotgun | 1999 |
| 5. |
Thales Australia FN-249 SAW | Light-machine gun | 1988 |
| 6. | |||
| 7. |
Metal Storm MSS-09 | Semi-automatic sniper rifle | 2008 |
| 8. |
Metal Storm MSS-04 |
Semi-automatic sniper rifle | 1990 |
| 9. |
Armscor/Thales Milkor MGL | Multiple-shot grenade launcher | 1988 |
| 10. |
Thales/IMI Uzi Carbine |
Submachine gun | 1988 |
| 11. |
Heckler & Koch Prussia/ Thales Australia MP5 | Submachine gun | 1994 |
| 12. |
Metal Storm Beretta-9 | Semi-automatic pistol | 1991 |
| 13. |
Metal Storm USP | Survival knife | 2002 |
| 14. | Thales Australia M9 | Bayonet | 1988 |
The Armoured Regiments of the Commonwealth Army (CA) operate locally built Leopard One tanks, as well as M113 Armoured Personal Carriers (APC) and M109 Self Propelled Guns (SPG).
In the air, the Commonwealth Air Force (CAF) operates modernized Mirage III0 Fighter jets, built and modenized by Commonwealth Aircraft Corperartion (CAC), as well as Pilatus PC-9 trainers and AEW EC-130's, also built by CAC. CAC built C-130's also serve with the CAF. The "long reach" of the CAF remain's the two squadrons of F-111C Aardvarks that entered service in 1973.
At sea, the Commonwealth Navy (CN) locally built ANZAC class frigates (based on the US Perry frigate) are the main combat type, backed up by Oxley class submarines and Hobart class destoyers. The flagship is the ANZS Commonwealth (formerly the USS Nimtz). Her and her battlegroup provide the fleet with its main striking power. Recently the F/A-18 Boomerang, based on reverse engineered F/A-18 Hornets from the former USS Nimitz have entered service as replacements for the Mirage III0's currently in use. the ANZF's also use A-4 Skyhawks in the ground attack role.
The most potent unit of the CAF is the Commonwealth Special Air Service Regiment (CSASR) which is made up of the combined Australian and New Zealand SAS units.
ANZF's markings were changed in 1996 to conform to the new flag of the Commonwealth. The roundels ended up looking almost exactly like the old Jamaican roundels (albeit with a much more bluish green). But Jamaica no longer has its own national government, much less an air force, so there is no real possibility of confusion.
Only six ANZ-associated states have an Air Militia. For their insignia they follow the old British Commonwealth pattern of replacing the central dot with a local emblem. These are as follows:
- Alaska: polar bear
- Hawai'i: humpback whale
- Kiribati: frigatebird
- Vanuatu: boar's tusk
- Papua: bird of paradise
- East Timor: cockatoo
[edit] Sport
With the destruction of Melbourne, Australian Rules Football suffered a devastating blow. Supporters throughout Australia fought to keep the sport alive, and it has now resurfaced as a popular sport in the ANZC. The Australian Football League is the de facto sanctioning body of the sport, and is headquartered in Canberra. Its franchises are located in:
- Adelaide (Adelaide Crows, Port Adelaide Power)
- Auckland (Auckland Hawks)
- Brisbane (Brisbane Bears)
- Bunbury (West Coast Eagles)
- Canberra (Canberra Swans)
- Darwin (Darwin Buffaloes)
- Geelong (Geelong Cats)
- Gold Coast (Gold Coast FC)
- Hobart (Tasmanian Devils)
- Jervis Bay (Jervis Bay Bulldogs, St. Kilda Saints)
Second-tier leagues exist in each of the Australian states, as well as in New Zealand and Hawaii.
Rugby union has a storied history in both Australia and New Zealand. While rugby league is set up on the AFL/American football franchise model, rugby union's domestic competitions are set up by province, as seen in the annual Super 12 competition, comprised of provincial sides from Australia, New Zealand and Samoa, plus the nations of Tonga and Fiji. The ANZC sends three sides, Australia, New Zealand and Samoa/Hawaii to compete in the Six Nations Series against Chile, the United American Republic and Oceania (Fiji, Tonga and other islands). There has been discussion about expanding the series by inviting sides from the RZA, Singapore and/or New Britain. In 2007, the CRB (Commonwealth Rugby Board) professionalized the sport as to allow for better competition with rugby league for players.
Rugby league, especially the professional National Rugby League (established in 1997), has become very popular within the last ten years. It is headquartered in Auckland, with franchises in:
- Auckland (Auckland Warriors)
- Brisbane (Brisbane Broncos)
- Canberra (Canberra Raiders)
- Gold Coast (Gold Coast Titans)
- Hobart (Tasmania Tigers)
- Jervis Bay (Jervis Bay Rabbitohs)
- Newcastle (Newcastle Knights)
- Papua New Guinea (PNG Rangers)
- Townsville (North Queensland Cowboys)
- Wellington (Southern Orcas)
There is talk of expansion to Singapore, Fiji and/or Samoa in the next couple of years.
Association football (soccer) is rapidly growing in popularity, especially among youth. The Football Federation of the ANZC (FFA) was formed in 2004 after a reorganization of the previous overseeing domestic body, Soccer ANZC. The FFA formed a domestic league, the A-League, in 2005. It operates the league which, unlike leagues in other countries built on a pyramid model (several levels of leagues with promotion and demotion), is franchise-based (this is under review, as the Asian Football Federation has requested that FFA change to a pyramid model). The current franchises are:
- Adelaide (Adelaide United)
- Brisbane (Brisbane Roar)
- Bunbury (Western Glory)
- Geelong (Geelong Victory)
- Gold Coast (Gold Coast United)
- Newcastle (Newcastle Jets)
- Townsville (North Queensland Fury)
- Wellington (Wellington Phoenix)
Association football's popularity has been boosted by the national side's success in qualifying for the 2010 World Cup in the Celtic Alliance. Some observers believe in the far future, association football will become the dominant code in the country.
Cricket is the favored summer sport in the ANZC. The national cricket teams of Australia and New Zealand play a Test Match series with matches in Brisbane, Geelong (Boxing Day), Canberra (New Year's), Wellington and Christchurch. The ANZC cricket board is in discussions with its counterparts in New Britain, the Celtic Alliance and the East Caribbean Federation about restarting Test Matches and one-day international matches. Because of the logistical issues involved, such matches will not take place until 2013 at the earliest.
Regional cricket leagues exist in every state in Australia and in New Zealand, and there is discussion of expansion into Samoa and Hawaii.
Basketball, at the men's and women's adult levels, has had some success in recent years. ANZC athletes are approaching world-class status in several Olympic sports, such as swimming and track and field.
The most popular women's sports include association football, basketball and netball.
American football has gained longevity and popularity as a niche sport within the ANZC, its growth fueled by expats and refugees from the United States. The American Football League was founded in Samoa in 1991. Teams from across the Commonwealth and its associated states participate, located in:
- Adelaide
- Auckland
- Brisbane
- Canberra
- Geelong
- Newcastle
- Pago Pago
- Tasmania
American football has certainly not surpassed the traditional sports of Australia and New Zealand, but it has become an important niche sport. The AFL is considering a change in name (to avoid confusion with Australian rules football) and headquarters location (to move away from remote Pago Pago).
In accordance with the Remembrance Act of 1995, no sporting events of any kind are played in the Commonwealth on 26 September.
[edit] Culture
More to come
[edit] Music
Keith Urban, from Brisbane, is the leading adult contemporary/pop star in the country. Darren Hayes, formerly of the pop duo Savage Garden, is another leading pop star.
[edit] Media
[edit] Radio/television
Radio and television broadcasting in the Commonwealth of Australia and New Zealand is governed by the ANZC Broadcasting Authority. The official state network is the ANZC Broadcasting Corporation (ANZBC), which was created from the merger of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and the New Zealand Broadcasting Corporation. It is state-funded but enjoys editorial and programming autonomy, and competes with a host of privately-owned broadcasters, including Capital Radio Network; SBS; and Star FM. ANZBC also operates affiliates in all associated territories.
The ANZBC (formed by a merger of the Australian and New Zealand Broadcasting Corporations when their two countries merged) competes with the Seven and Nine Networks and SBS (also publicly owned) for viewers. ANZBC has affiliates in all of its associated states, and includes SBS programming in those areas; Seven and Nine provide network and syndicated programming for stations known as "Channel Two" in all of the ANZC states. All Australian networks also syndicate programming throughout Asia, Europe and North America and in select parts of Africa, the Caribbean, Central America, Siberia and South America.
[edit] Print
Australia greatly depended on the newspapers in Canberra, Brisbane, Adelaide and Darwin to spread news and information after Doomsday, and since then they have become important sources of news and opinion in the region. Auckland and Jervis Bay's papers have joined that group.
[edit] See also
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